


Coming Clean

by Be_My_Lost_Boy



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt, Love, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Panic Attacks, Relationship(s), Romance, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:24:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6659803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Be_My_Lost_Boy/pseuds/Be_My_Lost_Boy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Link never shows to pick his girlfriend up for their date night nor does he answer any of her calls or texts. Crying, she calls Rhett to go and find out why. The reason shocks them both. </p><p>-Self Insert</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Clean

**Author's Note:**

> Possible trigger warning maybe?
> 
> I feel like I betrayed the Rhink fandom by writing something hetero. That was never my intention when I began writing fan fictions but the idea for this story plot came to mind and I really liked it so I had no choice. I tried to make it gay but it didn't work out. I do not plan on making it a habit to write anything hetero unless asked to do so. Please tell me if its any good. :)
> 
> Feel free to self insert! :D

_“Tonight’s the night that I make her officially mine. The night I ask her to marry me.” Link thought to himself as he did the last few buttons of his shirt, looking himself over in the full length mirror. He picked up the small, black, velvet box and opened it, taking one last glance at the diamond ring before putting it into his pocket, hoping that the next time he sees the ring will be on his girlfriend's finger. “Alright, here goes nothing.”_

 

 **5:00pm** _She takes a bath and shaves her legs._

 **6:00pm** _She does her makeup and her hair._

 **7:00pm** _She puts on the outfit that she has picked out for the night along with her heels and jewelry._

 **7:20pm** _She waits._

 **8:00pm** _She’s in tears at the realization that he isn’t going to show. She keeps calling and calling but there is no answer. Did he get into an accident on the way to her house? Did he forget? Is he out with some other girl?_

 **8:30pm** _She calls Rhett._

“Hello?” He picked up on the second ring unlike her good for nothing boyfriend.

“Hey Rhett it’s me.” She tried so hard but couldn’t stop the tears from falling or the way her voice cracked.

“Oh hey, what’s up? Aren't ya supposed to be out on a date with the Linkster?” His southern accent was thick.

“Yeah I was supposed to be. But that asshole stood me up Rhett! He never fucking showed! I-I got all dolled up and...And...He’s not picking up…” She held the phone to her chest and cried hysterically.

 

Rhett’s heart broke at hearing the girl sound so distraught as his eyes darkened with anger . “I’ma let ya go and I’m gonna call him alright? I’ll call ya back when I know what’s up, kay darlin’? I know Link, he ain't like that somethin’ musta happened.” He hung up the phone and immediately called his best friend. It rang...and rang...and rang...and went to voicemail which was full, most likely from Link’s girlfriend. He was still furious but worry began to take over. Link as a very passionate and romantic guy who loved his girlfriend,something was definitely wrong, this behavior was too out of character for there not to be. Grabbing his keys and his phone he ran out the door towards his best friend’s house which was only a few blocks away. Arriving at the house Rhett opened the door with the spare key that he kept on his key ring. The tall blonde burst through the front door calling out for his friend. “Link! LINK where are ya!? Get your skinny little ass out here right now Neal! We need to have a talk!” He yelled as he ran up the stairs to Link’s bedroom. He placed his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath trying to collect himself, going over different scenarios in his head of what could be on the other side of this door and how would he react to them. _What if he was with another girl? Would he yell at him in front of her? Tell her to leave? What if it wasn’t a girl at all what if it was with a guy?_ Rhett placed his ear to the door, trying to paint a picture for himself of the situation before actually stepping into it. Link’s heavy breathing and grunts echoed in the small room.

 

“You're with another girl you son of a bitch! Neal!” He screamed, pushing the door open only to find Link’s bed empty. It took him a moment to realize that the man was on the floor in the fetal position, crying,shaking, and gasping for air, holding his chest. Rhett knew exactly what was going on, Link was having an anxiety attack and by the looks of it a pretty bad one. Rushing to his blood brother's side he took the smaller one into his arms, holding him tightly as he cradled him. “Shh. Shh. it’s alright man. I got ya brother. You’re okay." The two of them have been together for years and Rhett had been witness to many of Link’s panic attacks but never to this severity. Gently he placed his hand on the man’s chest and began to rub. He knew that when Link would have theses attacks his chest would tighten and make it feel impossible for him to breath. Rhett didn’t know if rubbing his chest helped at all but he always liked to think it did.

 

It seems like an eternity until his breathing became even again and his body relaxed in his arms. “Hey buddy, you’re back. I was so worried.” He didn’t truly know what happens in the mind of someone who has anxiety to this extreme but whenever Link would have an attack it seems like he would check out, he could look straight at you but not see you. Link only nodded, wiping the sweat off his brow, unable to form words just yet. He was still shaking but it was from the aftershock of what he just went through. His gasps for air tuned into pants as he clung to his best friend. Tears began to fall from Link’s face once again but he wasn't sure if it was still remnants of the panic attack or was he crying out of embarrassment. After walking out of class a few times without being excused he was forced to tell Rhett about his anxiety but he explained it to the larger man as just being “anxious”. No one knew about how sever it truly was or the fact that he took medication for it. Not even his girlfriend who he’s been with for over three years. Rhett remembered that he promised Link’s girlfriend that he would call her when he found out what was wrong. He didn’t want to leave his friend when he was in such a vulnerable state to make the call but he also felt that it would be pretty fucked up if he called and explained the situation right in front of Link. After a moment of stroking the man’s hair and listening to his breathing he decided that the best solution would be to send her a text.

 

 **Rhett:** **>** Hey I’m with the Linkster at his house

 **>** He forgot didn’t he?

 **Rhett: >** I found him on his floor having a panic attack. I ain't never seen it this bad. He didn't forget. He was dressed for the date and everything.

The phone dropped out of her hands as guilt consumed her. Here she was cursing this man out for not showing up, thinking the absolute worst of him while he got himself so worked up over their date night that it caused him to have an attack. Did Link really care that much about her?

>Mind if I come on over? She needed to see him. Link didn’t know all the names that she called him or all the horrible thoughts she thought about about him but she still felt the need to apologize to her boyfriend and to also see if he is okay. Rhett” > Yeah come on over I would go pick you up but I don’t wanna leave Link like this. She didn’t bother to answer the text, she was too busy pulling her car out of the driveway. Just like Rhett, she too lived only a few blocks away from Link but in the opposite direction. The drive would normally only take a few minutes and that's probably how long it actually took but to her it felt like hours. Every stop light felt like an eternity and she didn’t even bother to obey any stop signs. Link was always there for her when ever she needed him. Every month he would come over to her house with Pamprin or Midol and sweets. Despite what the other guys from the soccer team would say, he always carry extra pads and tampons in his bag for her. No matter how late it would be she knew she could always call him whenever her parents were having a fight and he would show up in his truck and the two of them would go for a drive to make her feel better. When her grandma died Link took off from school just as many days as she did so he could comfort her. Her boyfriend was always there for her when she needed him the most. It was time to return the favor. If she just took a moment and thought things though she would have realized that something was wrong when Link didn’t show up on time. Maybe, just maybe if she wasn’t being so selfish she would have realized something was seriously wrong and Link could have gotten help way sooner than he did.

As her vision became blurred with tears and her runny mascara burned her eyes she was already at his house. In the text that Rhett sent it said that the door would be unlocked and to just go up to Link’s bedroom. Standing at the foot of the stairs she sighed, afraid of what she would see. Link always seemed so confident, so fearless, she wasn’t ready to see that same brave man unraveled before her very eyes. Her legs felt like stone but she forced them to carry her up the stairs. This wasn’t about her right now. This was about Link and he needed her now more than ever before. Placing her hand on the door she opened it just a crack, she could feel her heart practically beating out of her chest.

“It’s alright, come on in.” It was Rhett’s voice, in a very soft and low tone most likely not to startle or wake Link.

Opening the door her eyes went wide. Before her laid her boyfriend, on the floor, in the arms of his blood brother, pale as a ghost. “L-Link..?” She took a few steps towards the dark haired boy as if he was a frightened or rabies infested animal. She didn’t know what to say or how to react. Living in North Carolina mental illness or disorders weren’t talked about. No one besides doctors, and the people diagnosed with them were educated on those topics. You were brought up being taught that depression and anxiety were things to be ashamed of, that everyone with a mental illness was ‘crazy’, and that boys shouldn’t cry and if they do they’re pussies and gay.

Link’s breathing began to pick up again much like before. “I-I..I’m so sorry...Please don’t hate me. I love you. Y-You gotta know that right baby?” His eyes were filled with fear at the reaction his girlfriend would have seeing him in such a state. “I’m sorry..I’m sorry..”

“Link it’s alright.” She dropped to her knees, cupping the boy’s face into her hands, placing a gentle kiss onto his damp forehead. “I’m not mad and I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, you silly, silly boy.” Her smile was warm and never failed to relax Link. “I know you love me and I love you too. Can you tell me what caused this? I mean...We went on dates in the past so I don’t understand why you would…” She trailed off, not sure how to finish her question without offending her boyfriend. Link looked away blushing.

“Just tell her what ya told me man.” Rhett said as he rubbed the boy’s back.

He shrugged off the large hand and sat up straight facing his girlfriend. “Wow um...Well, tonight was suppose to be special because I wanted to...I was gonna...Dang it!” Tears began to swell up in his eyes from aggravation.

“It’s okay Link, take your time.”

“Tonight I planned to take ya out and uh, do this...” Link took out the small box from his jacket pocket and opened it. “I love you with all my heart and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Baby, will you marry me?”

Placing both hands over her mouth the tears stained her face. It was as if time stood still and she finally had a moment of clarity, it all made sense to her on why Link had been so tense and seemed distracted the last few days. “S-So..That’s what all that sneaking around was about? And all along I was thinkin you were...Oh my goodness Link I’m so sorry! Yes! Yes I’ll marry you.” Grabbing the man’s face with both hands she pulled him into a deep and meaningful kiss, putting as much passion as she possibly could. Moaning softly Link held the back of his now fiancee’s head, tangling his fingers into her soft hair, deepening the kiss.

“Thanks man, you really are a true friend.” Link said as he gave the tall blonde a lopsided grin.   
  
“Man I told you I’m gonna be here for ya till the very end. You coulda’ told me you were thinking of marrying Scott Nelson or Jimmy Cage and I still would stick by ya. Shoot I’d even be ya best man!" Rhett glanced down t his phone. "Golly it’s gettin’ late! Want me to take ya home?” Rhett said as he lifted himself from the floor with a groan.    
  
“Thanks for the offer but I took my car over and I kinda wanna stay the night.” She looked shyly up at the dark haired man as if to ask silent permission with her eyes.    
  
“Of course baby, you’re always welcome to stay the night, you know that. You don’t even need to ask.”    
  
“Alright I’ma get goin’ I’ll call ya tomorrow kay brother? And remember just ‘cause you’re engaged now ain’t no excuse to have any premarital sex.” Rhett playfully warned, wagging his finger at the couple with a wink as he escorted himself out. 


End file.
